Ngwasemukile mu 1948 mungalila yayindende yakumulauko walifuchi lyaNigeria. Halwola kana, tata wakanyike Moustapha nayaya Wahabi vavambapachishile kupwa Vinjiho jaYehova. Omu ngwahetesele myaka 9, tata afwile. Ngwahombele chikuma. Yaya Wahabi angulwezele ngwenyi tata natukamumona cheka omu mwakasanguka. Awa mazu akunguvendejeka angukunywile nguputuke kulinangula Mbimbiliya. Vangumbapachishile mu 1963. Nakushimbula chiku, songo yami walunga navayaya jami vavali vamalunga nawa vavambapachishile.

Mu 1965, ngwakavangijile yayami Wilson mumbaka yaLagos, kaha ngwalivwishile kuwaha kuzachila hamwe navapayiniya vashimbu yosena muchikungulwilo chamuIgbobi. Kuwahilila chavo natwima yavo vyangukunywile, kaha kuheta muJanuary 1968, nayami ngwaputukile kuzata upayiniya.

Ndumbwetu Albert Olugbebi uze apwile nakuzachila haMbetele alongesele kupwenga kuliwana chakulipwila nayetu vakweze, atulweze vyavapayiniya vakulipwila chikuma kungalila yakunote yaNigeria. Nguli nakwanuka omu ndumbu Olugbebi atukolezezele natwima ngwenyi: “Muchili muvakweze, kaha munahase kuzachisa lwola lwenu nangolo jenu hakuzachila Yehova. Kuli milimo yayivulu yili nakusakiwa kuzata.” Ngwafwililile kulondezeza muchima wakapolofweto  Isaya wakulisuula, kaha ngwatumine fwomu yakwihwilaho upayiniya wakulipwila.—Isa. 6:8.

Kuheta muMay 1968, vangutumine munganda yaKano yakunote yaNigeria mangana ngukazate upayiniya wakulipwila. Halwola kana kwapwilenga jita yize vavulukile ngwavo Biafran War (1967-1970), kaha yalingishile vatu vavavulu vayande nakufwa kaha jita kana yahetele nakumututuko walifuchi kana. Ndumbwetu umwe angulwezele ngwenyi kangwatelelele kuyako. Oloze ngwamulwezele ngwami: “Ngwasakwililako hakunguzakama. Oloze nge Yehova ali nakusaka ngumuzachile mulimo kana, kaha ngunafwelela ngwami mwapwa hamwe nayami.”

Vyuma kavyapwile kanawako munganda yaKano. Yize jita yenyekele chikuma vyuma. Omu twapwilenga muwande twawanyinenga vivimbi. Numba tuhu muKano mwapwilenga vikungulwilo vyavivulu, oloze vandumbwetu vavavulu vachinyine. Vandumbwetu vaze vasalile kavahetele naku 15 ko. Vandumbwetu kana vawahililile chikuma omu vatumwene etu vapayiniya vakulipwila 6. Twavakolezezele ngocho vajikijile. Twavakafwile vaputuke cheka kukunguluka nakutumanga lipoti lyamulimo wamuwande nakuwota mikanda kumutango.

Etu vapayiniya vakulipwila twaputukile kulinangula lilimi lyaHausa. Hakwivwa mujimbu waWangana mulilimi lyavo, vatu vavavulu vatwivwililile omu twavambulililenga. Oloze, vaka-liuka lyakwitava lize lyatanjile chikuma muKano kavasuulukileko, ngocho twasakiwile kupwa vakuvanguluka hakwambulula. Likumbi limwe, ami namukwetu ngwapwile nakuzata nenyi vatuhangasanyine napoko. Oloze katuwanyineko mwomwo twapwile nambushi kuhambakana ikiye. Chamokomoko naukalu kana, Yehova atukafwile ‘tupwenga tuvakukingiwa’ kaha vaka-kwambulula vaputukile kuvulilako. (Samu 4:8) Makumbi ano, vaka-kwambulula vakuzomboka ha 500 vali nakuzachila muvikungulwilo 11 vyamuKano.

Twapwile muKano hatukweji vavandende kaha, kuheta muAugust 1968 ami navakwetu vapayiniya vakulipwila vavali, vatutumine kuya nakuzachila mumbaka yaNiamey mulifuchi lyaNiger. Twawanyine  nge mulifuchi kana mwapwa muzuma chikuma ngana mwamafuchi eka amwe aku West Africa. Twamwene ou ukalu wakuzuma, kaha nawa twatelelele kulinangula lilimi lyaFrench. Chamokomoko naukalu wakufwana ngana, twafwelelele Yehova nakuputuka kwambulula hamwe navandumbwetu vavandende vaze twawanyine. Nakushimbula chiku, vatu vavavulu muNiamey vatachikijile kutanga, kaha vatambwile mukanda wakwamba ngwavo Mucano Uli Nakutetekela Kumwono Wamyaka Yosena. Vatu vamwe vatukatukililenga mangana tuvahane mukanda kana.

Nakushimbula chiku, twatachikijile jino ngwetu vaka-fulumende kavazangile Vinjiho jaYehovako. Kuheta muJuly 1969, twapwile nakukunguluka chachihanda, chatete mulifuchi kana, kaha kwapwile vatu 20. Twapwile nakutalilila kumona vaka-kwambulula vavali vaze vapwile nakuya mulumbapachiso. Oloze, halikumbi lyatete lyakukunguluka kana, tupokola vejile nakutukanyisa kukunguluka. Vakwachile etu vapayiniya vakulipwila nakalama wakujinguluka nakuya kuofesi yavo. Hanyima yakutupapalila vihula, vatulwezele tukindulukileko cheka likumbi lyakavangijileho. Twamwene ngwetu vyuma kavyeshi kanawako, kaha twalongesele vyuma mangana tuyenga nakuhanjikila chihande chalumbapachiso muzuvo yandumbwetu nakumbapachishila vaze vaka-kwambulula vavali mukalwiji mukusweka.

Omu mwahichile vyalumingo vyavindende, ami navakwetu vapayiniya vakulipwila vatuhangile kuli vaka-fulumende yaNiger. Vatuhanyine kaha jiola 48 kaha nawa vatulwezele tulitondele etu vavene mwakutambukila. Twaliluwile, kaha twayile kuofesi yamutango waNigeria, kuze vakatuhanyine milimo yeka.

Ami vangutumine kuya nakuzachila kuOrisunbare, ngalila yakumembo yamuNigeria, kuze ngwakalivwishile kuwaha kwambulula nakutetekela vilongesa vyaMbimbiliya nalizavu lyalindende lyavaka-kwambulula ngwawanyineko. Omu mwahichile tukweji 6, ofesi yamutango yangutumine kuNiger ukawami. Hakavanga ngwalikomokelele nakulizakamina, oloze ngwafwililile kuya nakuliwana cheka navandumbwami vamuNiger.

Ngwayile cheka muNiamey. Omu mwahichile likumbi limwe, muka-kusekasana umwe wakuNigeria atachikijile ngwenyi nguChinjiho, kaha aputukile kunguhulisa vihula vyamuMbimbiliya. Ngwamunangwilenga, kaha omu echele kunwa makanya nakukehesako kunwa wala, vamumbapachishile. Kutwala muze, ngwevwile kuwaha hakumona omu waputukile kuzovoloka mulimo chindende chindende muNiger. Hakavanga omu ngwahetele kuze, ngwawanyine mulifuchi lyosena muli vaka-kwambulula 31, oloze hakufumamo ngwasezele muli vaka-kwambulula 69.

MuDecember 1977, ngwakindulukile kuNigeria vakangunangule. Hakukuma chashikola yavyalumingo  vitatu, ndumbwetu Malcolm Vigo, uze apwile muka-kuwanyisa Komiti yaMutango anguhanyine mukanda wafumine kumutango waSierra Leone. Ava vandumbwetu vapwile nakutonda mujike walunga wakulikangula uze atachikijile Chingeleshi nalilimi lyaFrench, mangana akapwe kalama wakujinguluka muGuinea. Ndumbwetu Vigo angulwezele ngwenyi chikiko vangunangwililile mangana nguzate mulimo kana. Ahanjikile hatoma ngwenyi mulimo kana kawapwile wawashiko. Angulwezele ngwenyi, “Shimbu kanda witavile mulimo kana, vangila kushinganyekaho kanawa.” Hahaze vene ngwamukumbulwile ngwami, “Nanguya, mwomwo Yehova ikiye ali nakungutuma.”

Ngwayile kuSierra Leone kaha ngwaliwanyine navandumbwetu vahaofesi yamutango. Ndumbwetu umwe wamuKomiti yaMutango angulwezele ngwenyi, “Katwatachikijile kanawa omwo uli nakutambuka mulimo waWangana muGuineako.” Numba tuhu mutango waSierra Leone ukiko wapwile nakutetekela mulimo wakwambulula muGuinea, oloze chavakaluhwililenga kushimutwila navaka-kwambulula vamulifuchi kana, mwomwo yavikokojola vyavaka-mapolitiki. Vesekele mapapa kakavulu kutuma ndumbwetu mangana ayenga nakutala vaka-kwambulula kana, oloze vahonenenga. Ngocho, vangulwezele nguyenga kuConakry, nganda yayinene muGuinea nakutambula lisesa lyakutwama mulifuchi kana.

Omu ngwahetele muConakry, ngwayile nakulimona natemesa wakwimanyinako lifuchi lyaNigeria. Ngwamulwezele ngwami ngwapwile nakusaka kwambulwila muGuinea. Angulwezele ngwenyi, kangwatelelele kutwamamoko kuchina navangukwata, chipwe kunguvulumuna. Ambile ngwenyi, “Kinduluka ukambulwile muNigeria.” Oloze ami ngwamukumbulwile ngwami “Nguli nakusaka kutwama vene muno.” Shikaho asonekele mukanda nakuutuma kuli chilolo atalilenga vyuma muchitungilo.

Nakushimbula chiku, ngwakindulukile kuofesi yamutango waSierra Leone nakuvalweza vyuma akashile uze chilolo. Vandumbwetu vawahililile chikuma hakwivwa omwo Yehova angukiswile muungeji wami. Vangwitavishile kutwama muGuinea.

Kufuma mu 1978 nakuheta mu 1989, ngwazachile mulimo wakalama wakujinguluka muGuinea, namuSierra Leone, kaha ngwapwile muka-kukwachilako kalama wakujinguluka muLiberia. Hakavanga ngwavijilenga mapapa kakavulu. Lwola lumwe ngwavijilenga omu ngwapwile kwauka wami. Oloze vandumbwetu vazachilenga nangolo mangana vangutwale kuchipatela.

Halwola lumwe ngwavijile chikuma musongo wachishika nawatututu mujimo. Omu ngwayoyele hakiko ngwatachikijile ngwami vandumbwetu vapwile nakushimutwila kwakungufunjila. Kangwashinganyekele kwecha mulimo wamiko, chamokomoko nakuviza misongo yayinene ngana. Kaha ngwakunyuka chikupu ngwami mukingo wamwenemwene wakwilila weji kufumanga kaha kuli Kalunga, uze nahase kutusangula.

Mu 1988, ngwaliwanyine naDorcas, payiniya wakulinyisa, uze nawa azangile chikuma Yehova. Twalimbachile, kaha twazachililenga hamwe mulimo  wakujinguluka. Dorcas napunga nyamalikita kaha nawa wakulisuula. Twatambukilenga tunda yajikilomita kafwe 25 kufuma kuchikungulwilo chimwe nakuya kuchikungulwilo chikwavo oku tunambate viteli. Oloze hakuya kuvikungulwilo vyakwakusuku chikuma, twazachishilenga kala jijila jakutambukilamo japwilengako, kaha twatambukilenga mumikwakwa yapwile naulova kaha nawa yamenamena.

Dorcas apwa wakuhamuka. Chakutalilaho, lwola lumwe twazaukilenga tulwiji vaze vapwile navangandu. Omu twatambukile ungeji wamakumbi atanu, twawanyine chalo chinafu, shikaho twazaukile muwato. Omu Dorcas akatukile muwato nakuya hatunda, aholokelele mumeya. Kalwiji kana apwile navangandu, kaha nawa katwatachikijile kuhalako. Kwapwile vakweze vamalunga vaze valimbilile hameya nakumuzambulaho. Omu twanukilenga chuma kana, twevwilenga woma.

Kukuputuka chamwaka wa 1992, twalikomokelele omu emichile Dorcas. Twatwamine hamavu tumone nge twatela kwecha upayiniya wakulipwila nyi chiku. Twambile ngwetu, “Yehova natuhane wana.” Shikaho twalukile mwanetu wapwevo ngwetu Jahgift, kulumbununa wana wakufuma kuli Yehova. Omu mwahichile myaka yiwana kufuma hakusemuka chenyi, twasemene songo yenyi Eric. Ava vana vetu vavali vapwa chikupu hiwana wakushipilitu. Jahgift azachililenga haofesi yakwalumwina mikanda yamuConakry, kaha Eric apwa muka-kuzachila.

Numba tuhu Dorcas echele upayiniya wakulipwila, oloze azachilenga upayiniya washimbu yosena oku tuli nakulela vana. Yehova angukafwile ngutwaleho kuzata upayiniya wakulipwila. Omu vakolele vana vetu, Dorcas aputukile cheka kuzata upayiniya wakulipwila. Oholyapwa jino twapwa tuvamishonali vamuwande muConakry.

Ngunetavilanga kuya kwosena okwo nasake Yehova. Tunamononga omwo natukinginga nakutukisula. Kufwelela Yehova chinatukingi kuukalu veji kumonanga vaze vafwelela muvikumba. Vyuma tunahichimo vinatukafwe tumone ngwetu Yehova “Kalunga muka-kutulwila” ikiye kaha Muka-kuneha mukingo wamwenemwene. (Miji. 1, 16:35) Ngwakunyuka chikupu ngwami vosena vaze vamufwelela “[mwavakinganga], nganomu mutu eji kukinganga vyuma vyenyi vyavilemu hakuvihaka mungonga.”—Samwe. 1, 25:29.